Cats using allotment as a litter tray

[PurpleBug]

My plot is in my garden and I only started growing things this year. I’m a complete beginner. My plants are being dug up. This morning there was a lovely sticky smelly turb mushed in. I’ve had this happen in a few areas but never so much damage. I’m assuming it’s a cat because there are cats everywhere and my neighbor has 6.

Any advice on best way to tackle this without spending too much money?

[Thelma Sanders]

Small twigs or bits of something prickly laid on the surface seems to keep them off, and netting will of course. Zigzags of cotton tied between sticks, a couple of inches above soil level makes it more difficult for them as well.
Electronic cat scarers are another way, neater than netting but obviously more expensive

[Jay-ell]

Hi PB,

This subjects tend to pop up quite regularly, in one form or another - e.g.
https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...elp_96639.html
https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...ant_93364.html
https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...mat_97372.html

[bikermike]

if your neighbour has 6 cats then it will be cats.


(bear in mind that worse things happen in fields, so although it's unpleasant try not to let it put you off).

My tip (and it will be on at least one of those threads) is "all of the above" - cats like to go where they feel safe. Any single deterrent will be worked out, unpredictable changes cannot be.

Also chase them out of the garden when you see them. Cats are territorial animals, make it clear it isn't their territory. (also, it seems unfair to give them mixed messages. Don't make them think they are allowed one minute and not the next).

also rose prunings - cheap and spiky

[1Bee]

Twigs, fleece, net, and the wire hanging basket thingies are useful, upturned over anything clump-forming. Once the plants are established and there's less bare earth, the problem tends to go away.

[chrisdb]

I stick cut up bits of pea cane in the soil next to new and valuable plants, which seems to stop them digging them up to bury their mess. For the raised bed, netting is the easiest way until plants are bigger, and once there are lots of big plants they seem to leave them alone. Noise or scent based deterrents are useless in my experience.

[Jay-ell]

I flick the poop off the bed and let them continue catching rats and mice. Transplant seedlings into the gaps and once things are growing the move on to another bit.

[bobbin]

Yes I've got the same problem and have had for years.I almost gave my allotment up it got so bad at one point. When I sow seeds I always place plastic netting over the area.Though last week one still pooed on top of the netting. But I do have raised beds which are the most fantastic and easy things to manage. Or I place something around the beds as the cats don't seem like to have to climb over stuff. I've tried EVERYTHING bar the scensors that emit a noise as too expensive. You know your losing the battle when a moggie poops in the middle of the Scardy Cat plant you put in a week earlier!
Ooh and the smell is awful.

[Gillykat]

I don't have this problem on my allotment as it's away from housing but DID when I first met Neil in 1997 and moved into his flat. He had a lovely small front garden which was all weeds (he's NOT a gardener at all LOL) so I set about pulling weeds out and digging it over. Unfortunately the neighbours a few doors up had two cat who, I soon discovered, used it as their loo It really frustrated me at first until I stumbled upon a solution by accident - when I dug the soil over and sowed hardy annual seeds I would poke wooden skewers in at an angle so if the cats went to squat they'd get a wee poke in the bum and, hopefully, choose somewhere less 'spiky' (it worked!). I also covered small seedlings and sown areas with chicken wire. It wasn't THE prettiest front garden for the first month/six weeks but once the plants got growing I could remove the skewers and chicken wire and the cats no longer used the garden. I tried the crystals to keep them off but they never worked after the first rain shower and I was never 'rich' enough to fork out precious cash on the cat scarer gadgets.

I've since read that cats are attracted to bare soil - especially if it's damp - because of some chemical in it. Plus if you look at nature and the way things grow in the wild you don't get bare areas of soil.....not for long anyway! Wild flowers soon colonise any gaps.

I love cats but HATE cat poop But I always think that if us humans can put a man on the moon (supposedly!) and invent computers and do heart transplants etc etc we can surely suss out a way to stop a wee moggie from pooping on our plants Same with keeping foxes away from chickens!

Hopefully using everyone's advice on here will help

[bramble]

A water spray is a good deterrent.
Cats just hate getting wet.
I also used the prunings from my rose bushes to lay across freshly dug soil.
Cats are very determined, so you have to keep the pressure on.

[Dynamite]

This one gives good ideas.......

https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...elp_96639.html

Kind Regards.............Rob

[SarrissUK]

Maybe it would be worth giving them a sandbox with children's play sand for them to do their business in? I reckon they might prefer that to soil.

[burnie]

I've closed this thread as there has been adequate advice offered